Apparatus for gas-treating articles



Sept. 6,1927.

A. H. WARTH APPARATUS FOR GAS TREATING ARTICLES Filed Feb. 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j I l9. 1

1F 14 a 19 I A 14- J I 12 I Til? INVENTOR 424 4. MM

ATTORNEY S i Sept. 6,1927. A H WARTH 1,641,112-

PPARATUS FDR GAS TREATING ARTICLES Filed. Feb. 5. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Fi 5. J9 5fl f'f V. INVENTOR 4a- 4a @Mu NAM/J4 ATroR ELS Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

v 1,641,712 PATENT- OFFICE.

ALBIN H. WABTH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGIlOB TO 'I'Hlll CROWN CORK & OF BALTIMQRE, MARYLAND, A OORPORA- SEAL COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, TIO'N OF MARYLAND.

.arrana'rus non ens-resume narrows.

Application flled februaryli, 1988; Serial No. 86,199.

This inventipn relates to apparatus for gastreating articles, such, for example, as cork disks and lugs.

In a Patent umber 1,524,494, dated J an;

' 5 27, 1925, I have disclosed a novel process for treating composition cork disks and plugs with a toxic gas which will not 1nure the cork, for the purpose of destroying or preventing the development .of mold 10 spores, bacteria, flmgous growths, yeasts,

insect-larvae etc. y

It is an cluect of the present invention to produce an :mproved apparatus. for commercially and efl'ectively treating compost tion articles according to the process referredto. With this generalobject in view, the mvention consists in the features',vcombinations, details of. construction, and arrangemi Lrnents of partswhich will first be described 1n mtion withithe accom anying drawings and then more particular y-pointed out. -Inthedrawings- Figure 1' is a view partly in vertical sectionand partly in side elevation ofan apparatus'c'onstructed in accordance with the mvention;

Figure and,

and partly in section and partly in'eleva- .tion, a portion of theapparatus. Referring to ,the' drawings, there is provided a container for a mass of, articles to be treated, and in structures embodying the inventionfto' the best advantage, the container will enclose" a substantially unobstructed chamber for the articles and will have relatively large top and bottom ogenings to per- .mit anlunobstructed gravit ow of the-artides. in the embodiment ere shownas anexample a cylindrical container, 11 encloses a" substant ally unobstructed treatment chamber 12.; Intheto of this container is a relatively large fee opening 13 for the me tionoithe .articles.-- Above the open ing'is a feedingfunnel 14. The feed open- 13 is closed, durin' treatment, by a closare or 1 clampe in place'b a screw gas-tight seal; g e container ll-is slightly,

' 1 Ti 7 m s, I bottom. and has a relatively Fig-area's is amilfv i ew showing enlarged This p'peis connected bye branch pipe 28, which, as above-descri 49Y'extends" ,;3 a short distanceiand a has an end cap 50'm-w ch is e-restri'cted'ges an opening normally closed by a sliding-shutter 21. A receivmg bag 22 is supported under the bottom 0 ening by hooks 28.

There is provi ed means for conductin a toxic gas to each end of the container an in structures embodying" the invention to the best advantage there will be a' main supply and a supplemental supply, The main gas supply may be convementl accomplished by a gas'distributor having istributin portions located both crossw1se and lengt wise of thechamber. Although-capable of various constructions, in that here shown as an exam le, located centrally of the treatment j.

cham r 12, is a main gasdistributor in piece of which is near the top of the chamr and the leg-of which extends nearly to the bottom of-the chamber, In both the cross piece and the leg of this distributor are a number of spaced gasoutlet ports 26. The T-sha d distributor 25 is connectedby a bganc means may vary, as here shown as .rex-

- a :am le, at thewlower end 01E the container. is 2 is sto lan view of the mines spline 29*set into the container wall with its end opening intothevtreatment chamber.

. pressure chamber between, the source and the] container, a device for indicatin the pressure, and a regulatingor contro ling vvalve for the supply. In the 'embodimenthere shown as an example, mounted in'a 'h'ohsin' 41, above the container 11-, is a cylindrioa tank 42 having end caps 43, 44 and encl0s-' ing a pressure chamber 45. In the bottom 1 'le theffippleiehtal gas .70 the form. of a' T-shaped pipe 25, the cross 7 v I v I 0th H 0 I V H" pipe 27 W; acom mol k'y pipe cap 44 is a as supply pipe 456 coupled to" a main 47 '-w ch is connected with a source of gas under pressure, suchas the orry,

gas cylinder not shown. In the supply pi 46 .is a need] flow to the pressure chamber. In the'top cap 43 gas the container.

ere into e valve 48 tor regulating .t e

of the casingi fl gas 7 exit pipe 49 coupledtothe common delivery deliv-=' ice port 51. While the size of this 0 ening may tube is a glass bulb 58 into which extends a glass tube 59 terminating in a curved portion at the end of which is a restricted opening. The glass tube 59 is connected with a pipe 60 leading from exit pipe 49 at a point outside the pressure chamber, i. e. beyond the opening 51. Thus, the respective ends of the mercury column are in communication with the gas supply at opposite sides of opening 51.

Associated with the mercury column is a scale 61 which may conveniently be calibrated to show the volume of gas per hour.

There is provided valve means for regulating the relative amounts of gas admitted to the respective ends of the container. As here shown as an example, in the branch pipe 30, near its junction with the common delivery pipe 28, is a control valve 31. In branch plpe 27 isa similar control valve 32. The rate of total flow is determined and controlled by the means previously de- --scribed but the relative amounts for the main and supplemental deliveries may be regupores of the cork. Asa result any mold spores, bacteria, fungousgrowth, yeasts,

sary to such development. Meanwhile some k as f om common delivery pipe 28 is delivered tflliem'ontainenhylvay of the branch pipe. 30 and pipe 29. Thefiaiasupply enters by the distributor 25 but pipe 29 provides small auxiliary supply to equalize the time of treatment for the disks at the bottom of the container.

After the gas is turnedon, due to therestricted exit opening 51, gaspressure builds up in tank 42 and this pressure is indicated by the mercury column, showingby. means of scale 61, the volume of gas per hour. As

pointed out in the patent referred to, the

gas treatment-should be so conducted that the cork will not be over-saturated withthe gas for a given product. By observing the relation of the mercury column to the scale,

and. by manipulation of needle valve 48, the desiredv rate of flow is obtained." At the end of the saturation period, which may be from four to eight hours, accordin to theamount of gas admitted, the size or the container, etc, the gas is shut off by valve 48. Sliding door 34 .is opened and thefan 35 started to exhaust any residual gas. The bottom door lated by proper manipulation of thelallw or shutter flfis tlrmpenedand the cork 31, 32, This makes possible an even distribution of gas throughoutthe-mass of articles. A needle valve 71 in the endTi'fbranch pipe 30' permits inspection of the supplemental flow, as by opening the valve and allowing the gas to bubble out through water. There is provided means for exhausting any residual gas after treatment. As here shown as an example, near the lower end of tank 11 is an exhaust pipe 33 having a sliding door 34 and leading to a fan blower, indicated conventionally at 35, of any suita ble construction.

' In operation, lid 15 being removed and slide 21 closed, a mass of articles to be treat ed is dumped into the tank 11. While various articles may be treated the apparatus is particularly adapted to the treatment of composition cork disks for use as sealing disks in closures of the well-known crown cork type. Such disks are shown in Fig. 1. When the tank is filled with disks the lid 15 is replaced and the gas turned on by means of valve 48. The gas from main 47 enters chamber 45 and passes out through opening 51 in exit pipe 50 to delivery pipe 28 which conducts it to the gas'distributor '25. Here it flows out of the gas outlet ports 26 in the cross piece and leg of the distributor and gradually diffuses through the mass of corks, partly or entirely displacing the air in the disks flow. out by gravity into the. bag.

As pointed out in the patent referred. to, sulphur dioxide has been found to give satisfactbry resultsmQther gases may,'however, be used. i

With the construction described, the toxic gas may be evenly distributed to the mass of articles while quiescent in the container; the

gas-distributing. means presents a minimum obstruction to the gravityflow of the disks into and'out of the container; and the rate of flow is effectively determined and controlled.

Certain features of the above describedapparatus are claimed in a co-pending appli cation, Serial No. 453,530, filed March 18,

1921, Patent No. 1,610,339.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, and in combination, a container for articles to be treated, a gas delivery pipe adapted for connection with a source of gas supply, a branch pipe leading from the delivery pipe to one end of the container, a second branch pipe leading from the delivery pi e to the other end of the container, means or so determining and controlling the gas flow that y the gas is admitted to the container at a given rate, and valve means for regulating the relative amounts of gas admitted to the respective ends of the container.

'2. In an apparatus of the classdescribed', and in' combination, a container for articles to be treated, a-T-shaped gas distributin pipe in said container having a plurality 0 gas outlet ports in both the leg and cross piece of the T; a as delivery pipe adapted for connection wit a source-o gas suppl a connection between the distributing pipe and the delivery ipe,-a branch pipe connected .with the ehvery pipe and having communication with the interior of the container at: the end thereof opposite the cross piece of the T, and a control valve in said branch pipe.

3. In an a and in com lnation, an upright container for articles to be treated, a re atively. large top opening for feeding the articles into the container, a relatively large bottom opening for the dischargeof the articles, closures for said openings, a T-shaped gas disparatus of the class described tributing 'pipe in the container, said pi havin a lurality of spaced outlet orts in both t e eg and cross piece of the a gas delivery pipe for connecting said distributing pipe with a source ofgas supgly', and a supplemental gas delivery pipe avmg its end set in the wall of the container at the end of the containeropposite the cross piece of the T. v

4. In an apparatus of the class described, and in combination, a container for articles to be treated, means for "conducting gas to opposite ends of the container, means for so determining and controlling the gas flow that the gas is admitted to the container at a given rate, and means for regulating the relative amounts of gas admitted to the respective ends of the container.

. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ALBIN H. WARTH. 

